Tunneling-machine.



l. C. FRENCH.

TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 21. 1915.

1,272,653. Patented July 16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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l. vC. FRENCH..

TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 001.21. 1915.

Patented .my 16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n. c. FRENCH. TUNNELING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION FILED OCT. 21.1915.

1.272,653. Patented July 16, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

10. FRENCH.

TUNNELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 21| 1915- 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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narran sTaTns TaTnnT ernten.

JAMES C. FRENCH, 0F KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 FREDERICK C. AUSTIN, OF

' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TUNNELING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratentedauiy ie, Tais.,

Application filed October 21, 1915. Serial N o. 57,118.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES C. FRENCH, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and resident of Kenosha, IVisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tunneling-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to excavating machines of that kind in which means are provided at the forward end of the body frame for cutting straight ahead into the ground and in which' the said body 4frame is provided with traction devices of any suitable character for gradually feeding the machine ahead during the excavating operation.

Generallyv stated, the object of my invention is to provide an excavating machine of this general character in which means are provided for cutting or boring a tunnel, the balance of the machine being Aof a size and shape and character to follow immediately behind, whereby the operator may drive the machine forward a desired distance below the surface of the ground, thereby forming a tunnel for any desired purpose.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general efficiency and serviceability of a tunneling machine of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a tunneling machine embodying the features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the said machine.

Fig. 3 is a front end elevation of the said machine on a larger scale.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line Jr-4,

in Fig. l, on the same scale as Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a suitable body frame A having a casting B in the form of a track in the forward end therof. This casting B has its front provided centrally with an axle or arbor b which is coincident with the axis of the tunnel C in which the machine is working. Said casting B is also provided with a, circular channel track D for the anti-friction wheels or rollers d, it being observed that the latter are interposed between said track and a similar track E secured to the back of the ring of buckets F, the latter being of any'suitable character. Said rollers (l have radial axes-that is to Say their axes are radial to the axis of the tunnel, being generated on concentric rings 1 and 2, whereby said rollers travel around and maintain their spaced relations to each other. Thus the cutter has a thrust bearing to crowd it forward, and the casting B forms the means or provisions to hold the thrust bearing stationary on the body, so that the cutter is positively forced forward into the ground by forward movement of the body. The buckets E are in turn secured to the back of the rotary hub or wheel G, and the latter is provided at its front side with knives or cutters g, which are inclined backward at their outer ends,` whereby their forward ends are always in advance of the periphery of the wheel. At its hub, the wheel G is provided with a forward extending central portion 8 which is formed somewhat like an auger bit., which by its spiral formation bores forward into the ground and forms the axis of the wheel. which axis is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the tunnel. The buckets F are arranged in a circle and travel on the cylindric sides of the tunnel being disposed in position to take up the loose dirt cut away by the knives g as the machine travels slowly forward. When the said buckets arrive at the highest point in their path of travel the dirt is then discharged into a hopper H and from the latter on to a conveyer I which extends rearward from said hopper and is of a length to finally discharge the dirt at the rear end of the machine. The caterpillar J is of any suitable character, and is disposed preferably between the sides of the body frame A, the latter being pivoted at a to the forward end of said caterpillar whereby the rear end of the body frame can be raised and lowered or tilted about a horizontal axis near its forward end. For this purpose a vertically disposed screw K is suitably mounted on the rear end of the said caterpillar, it being understood that the other side of the machine is provided with a similar adjusting screw. With this arrangement, and by rotating the hand screws K, the rear end of the body frame can be raised andl lowered, it being understood that the sleeve k, and also the bearing 4 in which the screw is held on the body frame, can be swiveled or pivotally mounted on the caterpillar and body frame to compensate for the change in angle between the caterpillar and body frame during the adjustment. The circular rack or gear ring L is provided on the back of the wheel G, and the longitudinal shaft M is provided at its forward end with a pinion m for engaging said rack or gear ring, thereby to rotate the said wheel and thus produce the desired excavating action thereof. An electric motor N, or other source of motive power, is carried on the rear end of the body frame. It will be understood that this motor is suitably connected with the shaft M, with the caterpillar J and also with the conveyer I through the medium of any suitable power transmitting connection. It will also be understood that the transmission of power for these purposes can be controlled through the medium of'clutches or other devices of any suitable character.

In order to prevent the torque of the machine, while in operation, from twisting or turning the body frame to one side, rollers O are provided and-arranged to roll on the tunnel sides. These rollers are mounted on a frame P which is disposed immediately behind the casting B, and which is fastened to the forward portion of the body frame A in any suitable manner. Any suitable num- 'ber of these rollers may be employed, but with four employed in the mannershown, the machine is held firmly against lateral displacement, inasmuch as it practically travels on the upper and lower sides of the tunnel.

The caterpillar shield or cylinder-like memberQ practically incloses all except the forward portion of the machine, thus preventing the tunnel from caving in above the machine during the excavating operation. This cylindric shield, which may be made of boiler iron, can be connected with the body frame of the machine and thus caused to travel forward as fast as the caterpillar J feeds the body frame and excavating appara-tus forward into the ground. After the tunnel is completed, the machine can then be backed out of the tunnel. It will be understood that bolts or other fastening devices which can be quickly operated or removed can be employed for removably securing said knives and buckets and rollers in osition. Obviously, however, there are di erent ways and methodsof using my invention, and I do not limit myself to the exact construction shown and described, nor to any method of use thereof.

Any suitable means can'be employed for crowding or swinging the rear end of the body frame from one side to the other for the purpose of steering the machine to the tunneling operation.

The loose dirt discharged at the rear of the machine can be carried away in any suitable or desired manner, so that the tunnel ywill be clean and open when the boring operation is finished.

The excavating buckets, can, of course, be of any suitable known or approvedform, but are preferably of the kind shown in the drawings, being fixed on the rotary wheel. Each bucket takes up a load at the bottom of the tunnel, and while the buckets are traveling upward to the point of discharge the dirt is prevented from falling out by the shield or curved plate S which extends around the inside of the buckets at the side of the machine. In this way, the open top side of the bucket is covered until the bucket turns completely upside down and arrives at the dumping position, and then the load is discharged as soon as the bucket leaves the upper'end of the curved shield or plate.

By the term motor, any prime mover or engine or source of power is intended, and any kind of power may be used to operate the machine.

lVhat I claim as my invention is:

1. A self-propelled tunneling machine comprising a rotary cutter for boring forward in the ground, a body upon the forward end of which said cutter is mounted to rotate about the axis of t-he tunnel, a thrust bearing for said cutter traction devices traveling on the bottom surface of the tunnelv to support and propel said body forward, so that the entire machine while in operation moves slowly forward to positively force said cutter ahead into the ground, and whereby the machine may be propelled over the surface of the ground outside the tunnel, buckets mounted to operate transversely of the machine behind said cutter and in front of said traction devices to receive the borings, means for conveying the discharge from said buckets to 'the rear end of said body, and a motor carimanes ward in the ground, a body upon the forward end of which said cutter is mounted to rotate about the axis of thc tunnel, traction devices traveling on the bottom surface of the tunnel to support and propel said body forward, so that the entire machine moves slowly forward while the cutter rotates, and whereby the machine may be' propelled over the surface of the ground outside the tunnel buckets mounted to operate transversely ci the machine behind said cutter and in front of said traction devices to receive the borings, means for conveying the discharge from said buckets to the rear end ot said body, said buckets having a ring secured thereto, and rolls engaging said ring to form a backing for said cutter.

4. A self-propelled tunneling machine comprising a rotary cutter for boring forward in the ground, a body upon the for ward end of which said cutter is mounted to rotate about the axis of the tunnel., traction devices traveling on the bot-tom surface of the tunnel to support and propel said body forward, so that the entire machine moves slowly forward while the cutter rotates, and whereby the machine may be propelled over the surface of the ground out-v side the tunnel, buckets mounted to operate transversely of the machine behind said ,cutter and in front of said traction devices to receive the borings, means for conveyingl the discharge from said buckets to the rear end' of said body, said cutter having a ring ot cog-teeth on the back thereof, a shaft extending forward to said cutter, a pinion on said shaft to engage said teeth, and power operated means to rotate said shaft.

5. A selpropellcd tunneling machine comprising a rotary cutter for boring' forward in the ground, a body upon the forward end of which said cutter is mounted to rotate about the axis of the tunnel, traction devices traveling on the bottom surface of the tunnel to support and propel said body forward, so that the ent-ire machine moves slowly forward while the cutter rotates, and whereby the machine may be propelled over the surface of the ground outside the tunnel, buckets mounted to operate transversely of the machine behind Said cutter and in front of said traction devices to receive the borings, means for conveying the discharge from said buckets to the rear. end of said body, said body being mounted .to tilt about a transverse axis, and means to hold said body in tilted position.

6. The said tunneling machine, as specified in claim 1, said buckets being arranged in a circle immediately behind the outer porff tions of said cutter, and said means including a hopper extending under the buckets at the top of the circle. Y

7. The said tunneling machine, as specified in claim l, power operated connections on said body to drive said cutter and buckets, and rollers engaging the sides of the tunnel to prevent the torque ci said cutter from twisting said body out of position.

8. ln a machine for boring a tunnel, the combination of (l) a body, (2) a prime mover on said body, (3) traction devices operated by ,said prime mover to propel the machine on the bottom of the tunnel, (fl) a rotary cutter at the forward end of said body, (5) conveyer buckets on said cutter, (6) means to receive the dirt from said buckets, (7) means to support said cutter for positive forward movement in unison with said body, so that said cutter is forced ahead into the ground by said traction devices, (8) power transmitting means to connect said cutter with said prime mover, (9) and means to engage the sides of the tunnel and traveling forward in unison with the forward movement of said cutter and body to hold the machine upright.

9. A structure as specied in'claiin 8, and a backing for said buckets to hold the rotary cutter against rearward displacement relatively to said body.

l0. A structure as specified in claim 8, in which said buckets are disposed in position to smooth the entire inner surface of the tunnel behind said cutter, and having antifriction means to exert a forward pressure through said bucket-s to said cutter.

JAMES C. FRENCH.

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